Gas prices: National average sits at $4.06 per gallon
The national average price for a gallon of regular gasoline was around $4.06 on Monday, slightly down from the weekend but higher than a week prior. Throughout 2026,gas prices have fluctuated considerably,reaching a low of approximately $2.79 in January and a high of about $4.56 in May. The recent rise marks the third time prices have surpassed $4 per gallon this year, setting a new record. These fluctuations are linked to geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, notably conflicts involving Iran, Israel, and the U.S., and issues in the Strait of Hormuz.
Compared to the previous year, were the average was roughly $3.14 per gallon, current prices are substantially higher. Gas prices dipped below $3.84 in early July, the lowest since March, but have since risen again. President Donald Trump commented that gas prices would decline once the Iranian conflict resolves,suggesting that oil prices will drop rapidly when tensions end.
Currently, no U.S. state has an average gas price below $3.55, with 23 states averaging $4 or more per gallon and 11 states exceeding $4.30.California has the highest average at $5.577,followed by Hawaii,Washington,Alaska,and Nevada. Louisiana offers the lowest at $3.569 per gallon, with other low-cost states including indiana, Alabama, South Carolina, and Mississippi. Gas prices continue to vary significantly across the country, influenced by regional factors and ongoing geopolitical events.
The national average price for a gallon of regular gas continued its volatile trend on Monday, sitting at $4.0636. The latest pricing is a very slight decrease from the weekend but remains higher than a week ago. On Sunday, the national average was $4.0656 per gallon, and a week ago, a gallon of regular gas was $4.0091.
The national average price of gas has fluctuated widely in 2026, ranging from a low of $2.79 per gallon in January to $4.562 per gallon in May. The most recent uptick in prices marks the third time the national average price for a gallon of regular gas has eclipsed $4 per gallon, which is a new record, as the Washington Examiner previously reported. The recent fluctuation in gas prices has been linked to geopolitics in the Middle East, specifically the military conflict between Iran, Israel, and the United States, and turmoil involving the Strait of Hormuz.
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Today’s gas prices are substantially higher than a year ago, when the national average was $3.1381 per gallon, according to AAA. A little over a month ago, during the first week in July, the national average had dropped to its lowest levels since March. The fluctuations in gas prices, specifically the recent increase in fuel costs, were addressed by President Donald Trump last week during an event in Las Vegas. He teased that prices would resume decreasing once the Iranian conflict is over. However, he did not provide any timeline for when that may be.
“As soon as the situation with Iran ends, oil is going to go down, and we will have completed something in such a short amount of time, that is a miracle,” Trump said during an event in Las Vegas last week.
“When oil goes down, and it’s going to go down very rapidly, and is already happening. We may have to send it up again. We may have to — you know what happens when we send it up,” said Trump about fluctuating gas prices during the conflict. “But we don’t have to. But when the oil and gasoline go down, everything else goes down.”
Currently, no state in the nation has an average gas price under $3.55 per gallon, according to AAA. Twenty-three states have an average price of $4 per gallon or more; 11 have an average price of $4.30 per gallon or more.
NATIONAL AVERAGE GAS PRICES HIT RECORD HIGH FOR A CALENDAR YEAR
Despite the massive fluctuations in gas prices this year and the recent string of increases, one thing that has remained constant is that fuel costs vary throughout the country. The states with the highest gas prices are on the West Coast, whereas the states with the lowest gas prices are located in the Midwest and South.
California once again has the highest gas prices in the country on Monday, with a statewide average price of $5.577 per gallon. Hawaii is next at $5.432 per gallon. Washington state follows this with a statewide average of $5.19 per gallon. Next is Alaska with a statewide average price of $4.839 per gallon, followed by Nevada at $4.766 per gallon.
Louisiana has the cheapest gas prices in the nation on Monday at $3.569 per gallon. Indiana is next at $3.585 per gallon. Alabama follows with a cost of $3.604 per gallon, and then South Carolina at $3.605. Mississippi is next with a state average of $3.606.
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